(Non‐Deictic, Socio‐Expressive) T‐/V‐pronoun distinction in Spanish/English formal locutionary acts

Abstract

Spanish is one of the languages that convey a T‐/V‐pronoun distinction. This article discusses the lack of a one‐to‐one equivalence between English and Spanish second‐person personal pronouns. It analyses the linguistic categories of English and Spanish second‐person personal pronouns, and their implicatures in formal and informal situations in the light of the growing egalitarianism in western societies. The conclusions concern cross‐cultural communication and underpin the paramount significance of sociolinguistics in the usage of second‐person personal pronouns in English and in Spanish.